News on the Booze

The Timothy Taylor brewery was established in Cook Lane, Keighley in 1958 with the help of James Shackleton and John Naylor. Taylor bought his first pub, ‘The Volunteers Arms’, a year later. Eventually Taylor bought out his previous partners before moving to The Knowle Spring, Keighley in 1863. With the help of his father-in-law Taylor built a new brewery, where it remains to this day.
In 1928 Timothy Taylor’s brewery won its first championship brewing awards – the first bunch of many to come. In 1958 the future of the brewery is threatened with the deaths of two Taylor family members, Percy and Phillip. Gladys, Percy’s widow, marries Sir John Horsfall. With his help and the determination of Gladys’ son, John Taylor, the business survived.
In 1980 ‘Boltmaker’ won 1st place for ‘Best Draught Pale Ale’ at the Brewing Industry International Awards and in 1993 was awarded runner up to the Champion Beer of Britain. Timothy Taylor’s brewery couldn’t settle for 2nd best.
In 2014 Boltmaker was crowned ‘Supreme Champion Beer of Britain’ at the CAMRA Great British beer festival – one of the most revered awards in the industry. After establishing 7 different ales, and winning 46 individual awards in total, the brewery still remains in the Taylor family name to this day. It is now the last independent brewer in West Yorkshire.

INDUSTRY FACTS:In 1858, the same year that Timothy Taylor opened his brewery in Keighley, Charles Darwin proposed his theory of evolution and natural selection. In the same year that Timothy Taylor’s brewery won its first awards, in 1928, the right to vote was extended to all women in the UK on the same terms as men. In 1980, when ‘Boltmaker’ ale won its first award, John Lennon was murdered outside the Dakota Hotel in New York City.